Nyang'oma Kogelo

Nyang'oma Kogelo, also known as Kogelo, is a village in Siaya County, Kenya. It is located near the equator, 60 kilometres (37 mi) west-northwest of Kisumu, the former Nyanza provincial capital. The population of Nyangoma-Kogelo is 3,648.[1]

Nyang'oma Kogelo
Kogelo
Nyang'oma Kogelo is located in Kenya
Nyang'oma Kogelo
Nyang'oma Kogelo
Location within Kenya
Coordinates: 0°0′38″S 34°20′44″E
Country Kenya
CountySiaya County
Government
 • ChiefJames Ojwang' Obalo
Elevation
4,227 ft (1,288 m)
Population
 • Total3,648
Websitewww.kogelo.co.ke

Services

Nyang'oma Kogelo is a typical rural Kenyan village with most residents relying on small-scale farming as their main source of income.[2] The village has a commercial centre with various shops and a bar offering shopping and recreation to the populace.[3] The villagers practice different religions and coexist peacefully. Nevertheless, in 2009, the Nyang'oma Seventh-day Adventist Church was involved in the attempted conversion of Barack Obama's step-grandmother Sarah Obama to Christianity. Following counsel from her family, she opted out of the arranged public conversion and baptism and remained a Muslim.[4]

The village has a primary school (Senator Obama Primary School) and a high school (Senator Obama Secondary School). The land for both schools was donated by Barack Obama Sr., a native of the village, and they were renamed in 2006 after his son Barack — then a United States senator.[5] There is also a health centre.[6]

Prior to the 2008 US presidential election, the village had no electricity, but was connected to the national grid immediately following Obama's victory, owing to the consequent rise in interest in the village.[7] The village also saw its first Kenya Police post set up in the wake of the election outcome.[8]

Transport

The village is along the unpaved C28 road between Ng'iya[9] and Ndori[10] junctions. Less than 10 kilometres north of Kogelo, Ngiya is located along the Kisumu - Siaya road (C30 road).[1] Few kilometres south of Nyang'oma Kogelo, a bridge built in 1930 crosses the Yala River flowing to Lake Victoria,[11] before the road reaches Ndori along the Kisumu - Bondo road (C27 road). Kogelo is a road distance of 882 kilometres (548 miles) west of Mombasa.[12]

Administration

Nyang'oma Kogelo is part of South East Alego electoral ward of Siaya County Council and Alego Constituency.[13] Following the 2007 civic elections, the local councillor is Julius Okeyo Omedo of Orange Democratic Movement.[14] South East Alego is also an administrative location in the Karemo division of Siaya district. The location has a population of 17,294.[15] As of 2008, the chief of the location is James Ojwang' Obalo, whose office is located next to the Nyang'oma Kogelo shopping centre.[3]

History

Nyang'oma Kogelo is the home of the immigrant ancestors of the family of Barack Obama, the 44th president of the United States. They have resided in the village since colonial times.

Obama fame

Since 2006, the village has received international attention because it is the hometown of Barack Obama Sr. (d. 1982), the father of former United States President Barack Obama. Barack Obama Sr. is buried in the village.[6] Some of their family members still live in the village. His paternal step-grandmother Sarah Onyango Obama lived there until her death in March 2021.[16]

Because of its connection with the former American president, the village is expected to be visited by many tourists from the US and other countries. The Kenyan government is promoting it as a tourist attraction of western Kenya. An Obama-themed museum was to be built by the Kenyan government and opened in the village in 2009.[17] A Nairobi-based cultural organisation will build the Dero Kogelo Library and Cultural Centre in the village.[10]

Obama visited the village in July 2018. [18][19]

References
  1. The EastAfrican, 23 January 2009: Strange revearsal in Kogelo
  2. Kenya Times, 7 November 2008: Kogelo village hits news headlines across the world
  3. Daily Nation, 18 November 2008: Kogelo big attraction for land buyers and business owners
  4. Daily Nation, 18 April 2009: Christians lose the battle for Sarah Obama's soul
  5. The Standard, 17 July 2006: Villagers' Hopes in Obama's Homecoming Archived 2009-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. BBC News, 5 November 2008: Jubilation at Obama's Kenyan home
  7. Daily Nation, 7 November 2008: Sleepy Kogelo village transformed overnight
  8. Los Angeles Times, 22 November 2008: Obama clan in Kenya enjoys reflected glory
  9. Daily Nation, 22 November 2008: And now . . . let there be light in Kogelo
  10. Daily Nation website, 24 January 2009: Kogelo awakes to new dawn
  11. Daily Nation, Saturday Magazine, 20 February 2009:A chat with the world's most famous grandma
  12. Distcalculator. http://distcalculator.com/se.php?from=Mombasa%2C+Kenya&to=Kogelo%2C+Kenya.
  13. Electoral Commission of Kenya: Polling Centres in Kenya Archived 2008-06-25 at the Wayback Machine
  14. Electoral Commission of Kenya: 27TH DECEMBER 2007 GENERAL ELECTION. CIVIC ELECTION RESULTS - ELECTED COUNCILLORS
  15. Rural Poverty Estimates For Kenya's Provinces, Districts, Divisions and Locations - Nyanza Province
  16. Odula, Tom (29 March 2021). "Obama family matriarch has died in a Kenyan hospital at 99". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  17. The Standard, 23 November 2008: Sh5m set aside for Kogelo museum Archived 2009-02-04 at the Wayback Machine
  18. https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Security-tight-as-Obama-lands-in-Kogelo/1056-4665036-gty62kz/index.html | Security tight as Obama lands in Kogelo
  19. https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Obama-leaves-Nairobi-for-Kogelo/1056-4665098-lpvplo/index.html | Barack Obama opens youth centre in Kogelo
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